A Few Words With ... Michael Clarke, Bethany Joy Galeotti and Anna Silk

Q: What made you want to make the leap into one-hour prime-time drama?

A: I've never done a one-hour drama. I've always come from the movie world. And I can't help but mention (executive producer) Hart Hanson. He makes things possible. He is the nicest guy.

I was talking to Geoff (series star Geoff Stults) first, and he was talking about how enthusiastic Hart was. When I met him, I wanted to do his show right away. He made you feel that this part was exactly for you, and nobody could play it but you. Now whether that's true or not, I don't know, but he made me feel that way.

Q: Had you met Geoff before?

A: Geoff and I worked together eight years ago on a movie called "D.E.B.S. The thing was, we worked nights, and one night, we could not stop laughing. The director had to separate us. Geoff was joking so much. He was saying some stupid stuff. I kept laughing, and finally the director said, "Michael, you're over there. Geoff, you're over there.

A: I look out for him as a friend, adviser, bodyguard. I own this bar. Walter's a genius, but he doesn't have common sense. God doesn't give you everything. He's a genius, and he can find anything, but he doesn't have common sense. He doesn't have any social skills whatsoever -- in real life, too. I think that's why he got cast.

Q: With filming now completed on the final season of "One Tree Hill, how was it to watch your co-stars leave one by one as they finished their work?

A: Everyone sort of said goodbye on a staggered schedule, and we also said goodbye to the sets that way. We'd say goodbye to Karen's Cafe, but I'd still be shooting (on other sets) for another week. I was grateful for that, because that way, it wasn't just one giant thing all at once. I was able to come to terms with stuff more.

Q: What do you think of getting the opportunity for a final season, and to be able to plan the farewell?

A: I've always been really proud that we were able to last this long. There were so many perfect endings to the show, if you go back and watch, but I'm glad that we never actually had to wrap it up until this year.

Q: Haley went through a lot over the nine seasons of the show, from becoming a music star to becoming a parent ... twice. How do you reflect now on the character arc you had?

A: I always say that's one of the great things about being in an ensemble piece. Sometimes you're really front and center, and sometimes you get to facilitate other people's story lines. When you are front and center, you really can stretch your muscles and enjoy the craft. And when you're on the back burner, you have a lot of free time, and you're not so completely immersed in work. You can kind of come and go.

Q: This show is unlike any other I've seen. Is it based on a book or something else?

A: No, when I auditioned I knew the basic premise of the show, but after we got picked up, they created this amazing, rich world that draws on so many world mythologies. Every time I get a script, I'm surprised. It's like if you were a kid who dreamed up something wild, you'll find it on our show.

Q: If you didn't know that much about the context of the show, why did you want to play Bo?

A: When I read a lot of female-driven scripts in our genre, the woman was always very tough, very strong. That's wonderful, but what I love about Bo is that she is so vulnerable. The greatest source of her shame growing up is what becomes the greatest source of her power. That's such a great, universal message for young women who are watching. That's part of the appeal of our show, and it's what I related to: the human part of Bo.

Q: Still, you're playing a succubus, which doesn't give you a lot of possibilities to research. What do you do?

A: We have an amazing director of photography and a really talented crew. The costume, hair and makeup departments all help me get into the skin of this character. In some scenes, you want to wear high heels because they'll make you walk differently, and in others, you don't, because you want to kick some butt!